lemonade and apprehension
by checkerboxed
Summary: [ one.shot ][ challenge.fic ] ...just the right combination for attraction. roxas should really stop putting himself down all the time. [ axel x roxas ][ for myxbeautifulxlove ][ &edit : sweet! LOVE winner. hahahahh. ]


**lemonade and apprehension----------------  
**_just the right combination for attraction  
& _challenge fic for myxbeautifulxlove 's 100 themes challenge.  
_winner of the 'love' section. sweet! thanks, chica!_  
_----------------------------♥_

Axel sits down on the couch and closes his eyes, sipping on a lemonade. The summer evening air is drifting in through the window, toying with Axel's brilliant red hair, pulling it across his forehead. He brushes it away.

Roxas, Axel's moody roommate, wanders into the living area. He glances at Axel and sighs, meandering into the kitchen. Axel can hear him rummaging through the cupboard for a moment, and then Roxas comes wandering back out again.

"Hey, Rox," says Axel, leaning back against the sofa lazily. He grins at his roommate, who does not smile back.

"Hey." Roxas is heading back into his room when Axel tilts his head.

"You okay?"

Roxas pauses, turning half-way toward his friend. He stays there. "Well…"

Axel scoots over, giving his friend some room. "C'mere," he pats the couch cushion beside him. Roxas sits down after a long time, settling himself primly on the couch. Then he looks at Axel, and back down to his black and white Vans. Axel contemplates him, his head resting on his fist. "What's wrong?"

Roxas shakes his head. "Nothing."

"…that's bull, Roxas."

Shaking his head, Roxas closes his eyes. "It's nothing," he repeats, but Axel's not convinced. He leans over and ruffles his hands through his friend's hair.

"You can tell me," he assures him, leaning back again and taking a sip of his lemonade, which is getting warm.

Roxas pauses, taking in a gulp of air. "Fine," he says, leaning back into the crook of the couch, between the back and the arm, pulling his feet up onto the couch and pulling his legs up to his chest. "…there's this guy."

Axel punches the air. "I _knew_ it!" he crows, laughing. Axel has known Roxas is gay— it's difficult not to realize this when you find your roommate curled up in the tub with his then-boyfriend-now-ex. Axel winces at the memory. _That_ had been awkward.

Roxas smiles unhappily. "Mhmm."

Settling back onto the couch, Axel grins. "So who's the lucky guy?"

Shaking his head, Roxas closes his eyes. "That's not important, is it?" he sighs. "I was thinking about it earlier, and I was realizing that all the guys I've dated have all only been in it for the sex. And I was thinking, you know, doesn't that say something about my personality? Like, nobody wants to be around me just because of who I am, not how good I am in bed. I mean…"

Axel turns to face Roxas, leaning forward angrily. "Rox, since when have _you _been the one to give in to second-guessing yourself? Honestly, Roxas, look around you! There are tons of guys out there waiting for you. Come on, think about it. You and I both know those guys you dated were asses. Okay?" Axel finds that he has pushed forward until he is leaning in close to Roxas, his hands on his shoulders, their noses almost touching. Roxas is staring up at him with something akin to nervousness.

They blink at each other. Slowly, red creeps across Axel's face, but neither notice. For some reason, Axel can't seem to move. It feels like something in Roxas's wide blue eyes is pulling him in, closer and closer, and Axel is wondering if kissing Roxas would be as fun as kissing a girl—

—and then he's pushing, scrambling, _scratching_, desperately trying to get away, away from Roxas and his compelling blue eyes and his compelling watermelon scent and his compelling thin body. He presses his hand against his mouth, eyes wide, and backs up against the wall that separates the living room from his bedroom. "_Shit_," he mutters under his breath, staring at the boy still on the couch, whose wide eyes mirror his own. "_Shit_."

Roxas is white as a sheet, staring at his roommate from the couch. He looks weak, tired, and Axel finds himself wanting to fold him up in his arms and hold him close. He shudders, knowing that this is the kind of thinking that got him here in the first place, up against the wall with fear in his eyes.

Because he knows he's afraid; afraid of the feelings that are coursing through him, afraid of the things he wants to do to his best friend. Afraid that if he does, he'll be stepping into a world in which he's never been comfortable.

Roxas is still sitting frozen on the couch, unconscious of the internal struggle that's going on between Axel's heart and head. Axel is trying to decide what to do:

**o1. **_walk away and never look back_  
**o2. **_sit down and talk this through rationally  
_**o3. **_jump him-------_

Something strong in Axel chooses choice three, and he lunges at the couch, fingers gripping the back of the cushion beside Roxas. "I don't care who the fuck it is you were moping over, Roxas," he whispers, his words hissing through his teeth, "You're just going to have to forget about him."

He sees Roxas's eyes widen for a split second before he plunges downward, pressing close to his best friend and smashing their lips together.

The only thing about the kiss that's sweet is the lemonade still lingering on Axel's lips. Both boys press against each other, need and want and _who knows what else_ coursing through their bodies.

Before either of them is conscious of what is happening, Roxas and Axel have crashed to the floor, fingers grabbling for holds in the cloth of one anothers' shirts. When they finally pull away, gasping for breath, Roxas looks at Axel with his clear blue eyes shining with… _something_, and tightens his grip on Axel's shirt.

"I can't forget about him."

Axel freezes in the act of stroking his thumb across the blonde's collarbones. "What?"

Roxas closes his eyes. "I can't forget about him, I said."

"I, um…" Axel's sure that he wants to hurt something. "—oh. Oh, um. Okay."

"No," hums Roxas thoughtfully, his eyes open again and staring down Axel's, "No, I can't forget about him." Somehow, he's moved just a tiny bit closer without Axel noticing. "I can't forget the way he makes me feel," he murmurs, "The way when he's around I feel like my whole body's on _fire_, like if he only touched me, even just something platonic, I'd combust. The way he says my name—"

"Roxas…" says Axel, some kind of warning or pleading, he's not sure which. _Stop, stop… stopstopstop. Please._

"— lets it just roll off of his tongue like it's the best thing he's tasted in a long time…" He stops when Axel moans something unintelligible, filled with anguish, and rolls away, onto his back.

"Stop, Roxas."

Roxas rolls his eyes toward the ceiling. Hasn't he hinted enough? "Axel," he says, "Will you kiss me again?"

Axel's eyes widen and he turns his head sharply, so fast that his nose hits the ground. "Ow, shit," he mutters, and then stares at Roxas with something akin to desire, even as confusion flashed through his eyes. "Why the hell are you— mmph."

Roxas rolls on top of Axel, kissing him with a desperation that has grown over the three years they've known each other, hoping and praying and hoping and _praying_ that Axel will finally take the hint.

He does.

----------------------------♥

**whew. just in time.**

**the deadline was today;;  
actually, she just changed it.  
maybe i should sign myself up for another one. **

i dunno.

boy. _did i have fun with this one, or what?_  
for those of you who read 'hotel', i _know_ i said  
i hated this pairing,

**but i have been converted.**

**they're adorable! ♥ ♥ ♥ **

standard disclaimer applies.

**...oh, and _review_. :D**


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